Educational Science

'Captain America' to 'Interstellar': The Science of 2014's Sci-Fi

From intelligent machines to intelligent apes, and from alien plant creatures to wormhole-hopping spacefarers, the sci-fi movies of 2014 brought a heap of science tidbits to the screen. Here are the 12 best science nuggets from the last 12 months of science-fiction films: January: I, Frankenstein shows how science blurs...

World's Saltiest Body of Water Seen from Space (Photo)

The world's saltiest body of water, hidden away in a dry Antarctic valley, had its portrait taken earlier this year by a NASA satellite. The image of the Don Juan Pond, a very shallow lake located in the lowest part of Antarctica's Upper Wright Valley, that NASA released today (Dec....

People who lift weights every day may accumulate less belly fat over the years, compared with people who spend the same amount of time doing aerobic exercises, according to a new study. The results come from a study among men. Combining weight training and aerobic activity, which is particularly beneficial...

Biggest Cloud-Seeding Experiment Yet Only Sparks More Debate

Meteorologists first conceived of seeding clouds as a way to increase rainfall in 1946, working at General Electric's laboratories in Schenectady, New York. But in the nearly 60 years since then, it has remained unclear whether human attempts to make it snow actually work. Now, the results of the most...

US Cancer Death Rates Fall, Saving 1.5 Million Lives

The death rates from most cancers have dropped across the United States, sparing the lives of 1.5 million Americans over two decades, a new report found. There was a 22 percent decline in the average rate of all cancer deaths from 1991 (the year it peaked) to 2011, according to...

The Human Race: Will We Keep Breaking Running Records?

Just over a month ago, Dennis Kimetto of Kenya ran the fastest marathon ever, finishing the Berlin Marathon with a record-setting time of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds. This means that for more than 26 miles (42 kilometers), Kimetto kept up a blisteringly fast average pace of 4...

Photos: F-35C Fighter Jet Successfully Lands on Aircraft Carrier

An F-35C Lightning II fighter jet conducted its first landing aboard an aircraft carrier on Nov. 3. The successful touchdown was considered a landmark moment for the U.S. Navy, which plans to begin operating the carrier version of the Lockheed Martin-built fighter jet at sea, beginning in 2018. Here's a...

47-Million-Year-Old Pregnant Mare Sheds Light on Ancient Horses

When a thirsty pregnant horse drank from a freshwater lake 47 million years ago, she was unaware that poisonous volcanic gases might lead to her sudden demise. Now, the fossilized remains of the mare and her tiny, unborn foal are revealing new insights into reproduction in ancient horses, including surprising...

Insect Family Tree Maps 400-Million-Year Evolution

Creating a family tree that dates back more than 400 million years and details the evolution of the most diverse group of animals on the planet is no easy feat, but one ambitious group of scientists has done just that. The first-ever comprehensive evolutionary tree of insects was recently created...

Giant Armored Dinosaurs Breathed Through 'Krazy Straw' Airways

Carrying around an exoskeleton of bony armor is hard work. But armored ankylosaurs figured out a way to shoulder the load and stay cool. These Cretaceous dinosaurs had Krazy Straw nasal passages that helped them air-condition their brains, according to a new study. These heads are just covered with bone...